BARMM braces for historic parliamentary elections as Comelec completes final machine tests

COTABATO CITY - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) conducted final testing and sealing of vote-counting machines across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) ahead of the region's historic parliamentary elections on 14 September.

Comelec chairperson George Garcia said all machines assigned to the region’s 5,212 polling precincts underwent the final checks to verify proper functionality, accurate vote-counting capabilities, and the absence of unauthorized programs.

"Because it is much harder if you only test the machine on the very day of the election," Garcia said.

The exercise allowed election officials to identify and replace defective units before voting begins. Representatives of political parties, candidates, poll watchers, and civil society organizations observed the process to ensure transparency.

Monday's vote marks the region's first parliamentary elections, determining members of the first elected Parliament and concluding the transition from the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to a fully elected parliamentary government under the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

National leaders have closely monitored the preparations for their significance to the peace process.

Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo noted that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. views the elections as the fruition of decades of peace efforts.